More and more people are purchasing goods and services electronically, such as over the Internet. Electronic exchange systems are achieving widespread use in the area of travel arrangements. These systems provide an outlet for suppliers having surplus inventory, and often allow consumers to obtain desired goods or services at below-market rates. One such system of electronic exchange is used by “online travel service exchangers” and allows customers to place an offer for travel services, such as airfare or airline accommodations. However, existing online travel service exchangers suffer from various problems. For instance, existing systems do not allow individual travel service providers to better their chances at being selected as the winner of the offer. One reason is that existing online travel service exchangers satisfy a consumer's offer by simply querying a list of providers to determine whether one or more are willing to accept the consumer's offer. The first provider that satisfies the offer is selected and the offer is matched. Travel service providers are not incentivized to offer more-attractive rates that will increase the likelihood that a customer offer will be accepted.
In addition, existing schemes charge a purchaser the value of the purchaser's offer even if that value exceeds what the purchaser would have paid without the aid of the electronic travel service system. In other words, even if the purchaser's offer exceeds a published rate for the travel services, existing schemes punish the purchaser by charging her the full value of the offer.
An effective electronic exchange system for matching an offer by a consumer with a quote from a travel service provider has eluded those skilled in the art.